Cribbing



April 17, 1928. 1,666,250

E. c. ALEXANDER CRIBBNG Filed May 23, 1925 Patented Apr. 17, 192s.

1,666,256 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

EARL C. ALEXANDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 MASSEY CONCRETEPRODUCTS CORPORATION, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,y A CORIORATION OF VIRGINIA.

CRIBBING.

Application led May 23, 1925. Serial No. 32,249.

The present invention relates to cribbing, such as is used in theconstruction of retainwall, railway embankments, piers, etc.

- ne of the objects of the invention is to provide cribbin comprising aparticular construction ang arrangement of stretchers and interlockingheaders in which the outer faces of the interlocking headers liesubstantially Hush with the outerfaces of the headers. There is therebyprovided a relatively smooth cribbing wall unbroken by projecting endsor heads. The projection of these ends or heads of the headers from thesurface of the wall is objectionable, as these projecting portionsreduce the permissible over-all width of the cribbing where space is animportant factor. Furthermore, they do not provide a neat appearingconstruction and are objectionable for other reasons.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction ofcribbing in which the headers interlock the stretchers againstlongitudinal shifting movement, and also interlock the stretchersagainst outward displacement from the cribbing wall.

A further object is to provide a construction of cribbing utilizingstretchers and headers of comparatively simple sectional form in whichthe cost of-molding and reinforcing by suitable metal reinforcement isreduced to a minimum.

Referrin to the accom anyin drawing, wherein I ave illustrate a preerred embodiment of my invention Figure l is a front elevational view ofcribbing constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 lis a vertical sectional view throlgh the cribbing or wallshown in Figure Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ends of thestretchers and headers showing the relation of their assembly.

R ferring now to the drawings, in whch like reference charactersindicate like parts in the several views, l() indicates the headers,which are all of the same character, and 12 indicates the stretchers.stretchers may be employed in the front and rear tiers of the cribbing,ifV desired, but I nd that the one standard design of stretcher,hereinafter described, is suitable for both the front and rear tiers,and standardizes the parts.

The headers 1Q are substantially rectangu- 'the ends of the stretchers.

Diferent forms of lar in cross' section, as illustrated in Figure 3, andare rovided at each end thereof with T-shaped eads 14 consisting ofupwardly and downwardly extending shoulders or flange portions 15. TheseT-shaped end portions 15 extend to a depth substantially equal toone-half of the vertical height of each stretcher 12. The reverse sidesof. these T-shaped portions 15 are sloped, as indicated at 16, tofacilitate assembly and to get the necessar strength to the portions 15.The longitu inal body portions of the headers 10 are suitably reinforcedb rods or wires 18, preferably disposed adjacent the 'corners of theheaders, as shown in Figure 3, and this reinforcing may be extendedupwardly and downwardly into the T-shaped end portionsl 15, if desired.However, by

lvirtue of sloping the reverse sides of these projecting portionsl, asindicated at 16, the extension of this reinforcing into these projectingend portions l5 is not essential because of the additional thickness ofthese end (portions where they'r join with the longitu inal portion. Itwil be evident that this form of T-shaped head can be molded with easein "a relatively inexpensive form of mold because of the absence of alllateral projections on the header. Both ends of each header are, ofcourse, similar in construction and arrangement, having the same form ofT-shaped end portions 15-15 provided with sloped inner Walls 16.

The stretchers 12 are preferably rectangular in cross section throughouttheir length, as illustrated in Figure 3. At their ends these stretchersare formed with rabbets or notches 21 recessed in their front faces.These rabbets or notches 21 extend inwardly to a depth approximatelyequal to one-half the thickness of the stretcher leaving interlockingtongue portions 22 extending from These. extending tongue portions 22are of ample thickness to leave the requisite strength for in-m,

terlocking the stretchers against outward displacement under thepressure of the dirt and lling material pressing outwardly on thesestretchers. The notches or recesses 21 have a longitudinal depth equalto approximately one-half of the crosswise thickness of the headers 10.These stretchers 12 are' reinforced by any suitable reinforcing rods orwires 24. and, if desired, the reinforcin rods or wires located adjacentthe inner si es of lio the stretchers may be extended into theprojecting tongue portions-22. 1t will be understood that the oppositeends of the stretchers 12 are similar in construction and arrangement,both havingthe notches vor rabbets 21 formed in their outer faces.

lin constructing a retaining wall such as shown in Figure 2, a front andrear series of stretchers 12 are first laid upon the ground with the endtongues 2 2 substantially contacting end to end between the stretchers.lln order to obtain the proper inclination of the completed retainingwall where such is desired, the rear series of stretchers is disposed ona lower plane than the front series of stretchers/ U on these series ofstretchers are then p aced the headers 10, the lower 'lV-shaped endportions l 15 being set into the adjoining recesses 21 in the ends ofthe stretchers. Upon this series of headers is then placed another tieror layer of stretcher bars, the end tongues 22 of the stretcher barsbeing placed behind the upwardly extending T-shaped end `portions 15 ofthe header bars. This process is continued, placing the stretchers ontop of the headers, and the headers on top of the stretchers, in muchthe same manner a rail fence might be constructed, until ythe wall hasreached its required height. Due to the simple character of the headerand stretcher bars the wall may be readily constructed by unskilledworkmen, and in fact, may be readily constructed by a single workman ifthe individual bars are ,made of such a size that one man. can handlethem. Where the wall is to be vextended up to a *considerable height, asecondary or supplemental course ,of headers and another course ofstretchers ma be provided at the rear of the first course forreinforcing and supporting the first course in the process ofconstruction. After this construction of cribbing has been erected, thewall or embankment is filled in with dirt, gravel or any other llingmaterial which serves to bind all of the header and stretcher bars toether.

llt will be lnoted rom Figures 2 and 3 "that the engagement of the'lf-shaped end portions 15 1n the recesses21 of the adjoining stretcherswill interlock the headers to the stretchers to prevent outwarddisplacement of the stretchers under the pressure of the :illingmaterial, tending to force the stretchers outwardly. llt will also benoted that the abutment or substantial abutment of the shoulder 21 atthe end of each notch or recess 21 against the lateral face ofthe T-shaed end portion 15 will interlock the .stretc ers 12 against anylongitudinal shifting movement relative to the headers. flFhere arenecessarily certain discrepancies introduced in the erection of cribbingof this t e, and particularly the s acing between t e front and rearcourses o the stret- Leeaaae chers as the cribbing progresses. Thesloped rear sides 16 tend to alleviate difculties which might arise inthis regard, as these sloping sides. enable the ends of the T-shapedportions 15 to be dropped into the recesses 21 where the spacing betweenthe front and rear stretchers of the uppermost layer somewhatexceeds theintended spacing between the stretchers. The sloped rear sides 16venable these T-shaped end portions 15 to" be started in the adjoiningrecesses 21, and thereafter, the weight of the headers and thesuccessive tiers of stretchers will force the sloped rear wallsdownwardly along the forward edges of the extended tongue portions 22until the `stretchers rest `upon the upper surfaces of the stretchers.

It will be observed from Figures 2 and t that after the cribbing iscompleted all of the T-shaped end heads 14 of the stretchers lie in therecesses 21 of adjoining stretchers and there are no projectionsprotruding from the face of the cribbing.

Having thus described my invention, what ll c aim is:

1. A cribbing structure comprising a plurality of headers having fshapedends and having .dat sides, and a plurality of stretchers of rectangularshape lying transversely and alternately on said headers and havingsufficient of the ends of said stretchers removed to form 'acomplementary space for receiving said 'lf-shaped ends.

2. A cribbing structure comprising a plurality of headers havingrectangular crosssection, T-shaped ends and dat sides, and a pluralityof stretchers of rectangular shape lying transversely and alternately onsaid headers and having sufficient of the ends of said stretcher'sremoved to form a complementary space for receiving said T-shaped ends.

3. A cribbing structure comprising a plurality of headers havingrf-shaped ends and dat sides, and a plurality of stretchers ofrectangular shape abutting each other, end to end, and having an outerportion of ends of said stretchers removed to form a complementary spacefor receiving said 'l1-shaped ends, said headers and stretchers beinglaid alternately and transversely upon each other.

4. A cribbing structure comprising a plurality of headers having dat topand bottom bearing surfaces at each end transversely projecting endortions and dat sides, said end portions being vertically disposed, anda plurality of stretchers having bottom and top flat bearinor surfacesco-operating with the said hea er bearing surfaces, said stretchersabutting each other end to end and presenting a front surface iiush withthe ends of said headers.

5. A cribbing structure comprising a plurality of headers having dat topand bottombearing surfaces at each nd and transversethe first namedbearing surfaces, said 1y projecting end portions of rectangularstretchers abutting each other. end to end cross-section decreasing insize toward their and presenting a front surface iiush with the 10 ends,said end portions being vertically disends of said headers.

5 posed and said headers having iat sides, and In witness Whereof,1hereunto subscribe a. plurality of stretchers having bottom and my namethis 19th day of May, 1925. top fiat bearing surfaces co-operating withEARL C. ALEXANDER.

